The Hand That Life Dealt
by rividori
Summary: KakaSaku. Sometimes those left behind are the real victims.


In a quiet street of Konoha, stood a man who didn't want to be there. The street was lined with little houses, peaceful and unassuming. He stood facing one house in particular, willing himself to take those steps forward. He'd give anything to turn around and leave right now. He didn't want to go inside and tell those people what he himself had just been told. He hated that he'd have to see the looks on their faces, witness their heartache. He reasoned with himself that if it was him, then maybe, somehow, he could find the right words. He understood how these people would feel. Nothing could really make this any easier, though. He knew that.

A couple of people walked by in his line of vision and the man was pulled from his thoughts as he watched them pass. His eyes then returned to the house. Everything was so seemingly perfect. It would stay that way until he came in and ruined everything for them.

The man shuddered in a breath as he walked forward. He reached out his hand when he made it to the door, and knocked. After a moment, the door swung open to reveal a radiant looking woman. She smiled when she saw who it was.

"Iruka." She said. "What brings you by?" Her smile fell a little when she took in his solemn expression. "What is it?" she asked concerned.

Iruka closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. "May I come in please, Hinata?" He asked, looking back at her. She hesitated for a moment before she quietly opened the door and allowed him to pass. Iruka stepped inside and immediately saw Naruto walking over to greet him.

"Iruka sensei! We didn't know you were stopping by." He beamed. "You know, we've just been discussing names. Hinata still thinks it'll be a girl but I..." Naruto trailed off at the look on Iruka's face. Hinata joined them again, still looking concerned.

"Naruto, Hinata...I..." Words had failed him already. "I've just been told by..." He couldn't bring himself to say it, especially to Naruto. Hinata seemed to read the worst in his expression.

"Iruka...?" She said quietly. Iruka turned his eyes to her and could tell she was thinking the worst. The terrible truth was that he couldn't deny it, and when he said nothing, she knew. Gasping softly, she turned away to look at the far corner of the room. She pressed her lips together to try and stop them from trembling.

Naruto looked from his wife to Iruka, who turned to meet his questioning gaze. Naruto was frowning slightly before his face fell.

"Sensei?"

Iruka paused. "I'm sorry." Was all he could say.

Naruto shook his head and took a step back from him, all the while still glaring at him. He searched Iruka's eyes, back and forth, almost accusingly. He looked over at his wife, silently turned away from them both. Naruto looked at the ground, frowning at it furiously.

"No..." He whispered. He balled his fists. Shaking his head again, he turned away from Iruka. Hinata looked back over at them, hugging her arms. They watched as Naruto stepped towards the wall of his home, with no real purpose. He stood there staring blindly at it before he lifted his fist and punched it.

"NO!" He yelled as small cracks splintered their way along the wall. Hinata jumped.

"Naruto!" She gasped.

The sound of a baby crying filled their ears and Naruto span around. Hinata made her way quickly over to the place where she'd been looking earlier. She reached down into a cot that was positioned against the wall and gently pulled out a little baby boy. Hinata held him close to her as she tried to gently calm him down. Iruka turned saddened eyes back to Naruto.

"They..." Iruka tried to find the words as he watched hurt and angry tears form in the young man's eyes. "It was a noble way for them to go."

Naruto's face screwed up in shock and anger and Iruka realised he wasn't being much of a comfort.

"A noble way to go?!" Naruto yelled furiously. "They didn't want to go at all!"

Iruka looked down. "You're right. They didn't."

"They shouldn't have gone on that mission in the first place. It shouldn't have been them!"Naruto said, his voice growing louder. "We all knew the dangers of that mission, but still they were sent!"

"It's what they had to do, Naruto." Iruka said quietly, all the while the baby in Hinata's arms continued to cry.

"I don't care! They should have said no!"

"These are stressful times, Naruto, you know that. We all have to do what we think is best and they were just thinking of the future for -"

Naruto let out a frustrated growl. "You can't say they did it for the village. That isn't fair! They had something more important to be thinking about!"

A heavy silence fell between them as no one spoke, the baby's now soft cries easily breaking through the stillness.

"I wasn't going to say that, Naruto." Iruka said quietly, after a moment.

Hinata walked back over with the now calm baby in her arms. A tear ran down her face as she looked from Iruka to her husband. Naruto watched the boy in her arms before bringing his eyes up to meet Hinata's as the enormity of everything weighed down on them painfully. Iruka looked at the baby boy, green eyes looking up at him wonderingly.

"They did it for him. They were thinking of him."


End file.
